Lung Cancer Awareness Month: 2019 Immunotherapy Research Update

Last week, lung cancer patients received some promising news. Results from POSEIDON, a phase 3 clinical trial in previously-untreated patients with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer, showed that the triple combination of two immunotherapies—durvalumab and tremelimumab—given with standard chemotherapy improved progression-free survival vs. chemotherapy alone. More time, however, is required to determine whether this treatment combo also helps patients live longer, and we look forward to seeing those results next year.

We celebrate every advance against this devastating disease. As the most common cancer type across the globe, lung cancer impacts approximately 2.1 million people—and causes an estimated 1.7 million deaths—each year and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women.

This November for Lung Cancer Awareness Month, we call attention to the tremendous progress of the last five years as we come closer to unlocking an answer to lung cancer. But more importantly, we remain focused on funding research leading to new and better treatments for all lung cancer patients.

Lung Cancer Research News

At our International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference in September, cancer researchers and oncologists gathered in Paris to exchange new ideas and discoveries, including in lung cancer. For example, James L. Reading, PhD, found that the more mutations lung tumors have, the greater the number and diversity of the immune system’s “killer” T cells within tumors. This work may lead to therapeutic strategies to improve the function of these T cells in hope of improving patient responses to immunotherapy.

Read CICON Recap

Lung Cancer Patient Story

In 2012, Barry was diagnosed with stage 3B non-small cell lung cancer and told he had six months left to live. After two years trying different chemotherapy regimens, he enrolled in an immunotherapy clinical trial, which shrank his tumors and stabilized his health. Now three years off treatment, he continues to live life to its fullest.

Read Barry’s Lung Cancer Story

Lung Cancer Scientist Spotlight

As a CRI CLIP Investigator, Thomas Marron, MD, PhD, and his team have designed a “window-of-opportunity” trial in which lung cancer patients are treated with PD-1 immunotherapy, with or without chemotherapy, prior to surgery. Patient samples will be examined both before and after treatment in order to characterize the immunological and clinical response to therapy in depth and address critical questions about the mechanisms underlying cancer immunotherapy.

Learn about Dr. Marron’s lung cancer clinical trial

Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
Information Updated

In June, the FDA granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for a subset of patients with metastatic small cell lung cancer, the latest in a long line of FDA-approved immunotherapies for both small cell and non-small cell lung cancers. With new breakthroughs in immunotherapy and FDA approvals gaining pace, we keep our lung cancer immunotherapy information up to date.

View Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer Webpage

Find a Lung Cancer Clinical Trial

Hundreds of new and promising cancer immunotherapy treatments are only available to patients in clinical trials. Our Clinical Trial Finder will match you to trials for which you may be eligible, and you can help speed the development of potentially lifesaving drugs for yourself and others.

Find a Cancer Clinical Trial

Small Cell Lung Cancer Webinar

Last year, we spoke with Matthew Hellmann, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center about a new FDA approval, clinical trials, and potential treatments for patients with small cell lung cancer.

Support Lung Cancer Research

With new checkpoint immunotherapies, many advanced-stage lung cancer patients are starting to see long-lasting remissions and longer survival rates. Cancer Research Institute is proud to invest in groundbreaking research that saves more lives. One recent, CRI-funded study highlighted the benefits of PD-1 checkpoint immunotherapy prior to surgery in patients with advanced lung cancer. The results are not only changing lung cancer treatment protocols, but also have inspired oncologists to begin testing this approach in other cancers. This Lung Cancer Awareness Month, support lifesaving cancer immunotherapy research.

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